Kawasaki Concours Forum
Mish mash => Open Forum => Topic started by: stevewfl on August 02, 2011, 03:39:55 PM
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http://www.cycleworld.com/motorcycle_roadtest/ten_best_bikes_2011 (http://www.cycleworld.com/motorcycle_roadtest/ten_best_bikes_2011)
BMW flat locked up the most respected mag's critics.
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Only in the CW testers' minds. I not so humbly disagree with a few of their choices:
Sport Tourer, of course should be the Concours not the 6-cylinder $25K Beemer. BEST is not supposed to mean "most expensive and newest."
Best Enduro, the 570 Husaberg? You gotta be kidding me. That's a bike for wide-open spaces, not tight woods, mud bogs, time-keeping or rocky stream beds. It weighs too much, costs too much, too few dealers, etc. The right choice is a KTM 250XC or 300XC or if you have to have a 4stroke, then the KTM 450XC. (And yes I know KTM actually makes Husabergs).
Best Dual Sport, the Triumph. Oh come on. Decent bike if a bit fugly, but they're defining "dual sport" as 99% road and then a couple of patches of gravel before returning to the road. Try a KTM 530 EXC instead if you think "DS" should mean competence on both dirt and road with an equal mix of both.
Best Motocrosser, well most of the true moto-mags pick either the KTM450 or the KFX450 as the top dogs in amateur hands at your local mx track. I race regularly and every brand has its partisans. The RMZ is decent and I've ridden them, but prefer my Honda CRF450. ANY of the 450s can win with the right rider.
By the way, I don't own any KTMs and never have. But I'm a little more attuned to reality than the guys who put the list together, and spent 10 years testing bikes for the moto-mags.
Alright, let's get the popcorn out . . . :popcorn:
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Still love my C14!!!!! :thumbs:
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I have been getting CycleWorld for years and love reading the articles, but I agree it usually seems like the "Best" of any class is always the newest with the most bells and whistles, even when it gets beat in almost every category by a competitor.
The one area I may disagree with a few people here is I don't care if the BMW is almost $10k more. The point is what's the best production bike in each class, period.
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We had 08,09,and 2010 best of winners. We can't win them all forever. That BMW is 1 sweet setup. I can't wait to try one out. Just to check it out. This gives Kawasaki a little nudge to keep improving the awesome C-14. I could never pay an extra $10,000 for it.
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From all I've read, the 14 is still the best frugal Super Sport Tourer on the market. It doesnt give up much to the much inflated price of the BMW. If value matched service costs the BMW would still win the least frugal award. Sorry folks, I have better things to spend my money on, when I get every mile I can out of the 14 I will be in the market, till then I'll leave these things to the independently wealthy folks like Steve!!!! Heck, if someone is willing to give me one, I'll sell it, buy the newest no ABS '08 I can find, park it for the next 5 years or so and put it in service once my current '08 is done. I'll swap the functioning farkles over and be ready to roll!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'd use the left over money to get a nice turbo all fabbed up, get a coupla extra bevel gears for down the road, bribe Brian to finish his cruise control, and throw one heck of a party ;D
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I wish more of you c14 owners would realize that its time to sell and get something better. The price of used c14 just isn't coming down like it should for a second class bike. for that matter the sport tourers from honda and yamaha seem to hold there value well also.
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From all I've read, the 14 is still the best frugal Super Sport Tourer on the market. It doesnt give up much to the much inflated price of the BMW. If value matched service costs the BMW would still win the least frugal award. Sorry folks, I have better things to spend my money on, when I get every mile I can out of the 14 I will be in the market, till then I'll leave these things to the independently wealthy folks like Steve!!!! Heck, if someone is willing to give me one, I'll sell it, buy the newest no ABS '08 I can find, park it for the next 5 years or so and put it in service once my current '08 is done. I'll swap the functioning farkles over and be ready to roll!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'd use the left over money to get a nice turbo all fabbed up, get a coupla extra bevel gears for down the road, bribe Brian to finish his cruise control, and throw one heck of a party ;D
(http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j180/stevewfl/avatars/headshake.gif)
You must be talkin' about a different "Steve" (http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j180/stevewfl/bigthumb.gif)
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From all I've read, the 14 is still the best frugal Super Sport Tourer on the market. It doesnt give up much to the much inflated price of the BMW. If value matched service costs the BMW would still win the least frugal award. Sorry folks, I have better things to spend my money on, when I get every mile I can out of the 14 I will be in the market, till then I'll leave these things to the independently wealthy folks like Steve!!!! Heck, if someone is willing to give me one, I'll sell it, buy the newest no ABS '08 I can find, park it for the next 5 years or so and put it in service once my current '08 is done. I'll swap the functioning farkles over and be ready to roll!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'd use the left over money to get a nice turbo all fabbed up, get a coupla extra bevel gears for down the road, bribe Brian to finish his cruise control, and throw one heck of a party ;D
:stirpot:
Good plan sir!